Hernia truss



July 19, 1966 H. D. NAUM 3,261,352

HERNIA TRUSS Filed Nov. 20. 1963 FIG. 1 FIG. 2 FIG. 3

INVENTOR.

HARRY D. N A u M BY ,J/Ju AA;

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,261,352 HERNIA TRUSS Harry D. Naum, 2744Bedford Ave., Brooklyn, N.Y. Filed Nov. 20, 1963, Ser. No. 324,997 4Claims. (Cl. 128-95) The object of the present invention is to provide ahernia truss which is particularly applicable for reducible inguinalrupture, which will be free from strain and the frequent induced painwhich occurs with the use of the standard and customarily employedhernia support.

Further object of the invention is to provide a truss which will stay inposition where it is needed, instead of shifting like present trussesdo.

The primary characteristic of my truss is the use of a concave formcarrying springy finger-like areas, conforming to body contour andenabling independent flexing in confirmation with the area to besupported along the groin. It has been recognized by physicians that thetruss constructions commonly in use, are not comfortably adequate in thecase of exercising and in lifting relatively heavy objects, and when thewearer is subjected to coughing. The truss of the present inventionadequately meets such conditions in that its action is like holding thegroin with the fingers of the hand or hands with yielding pressurecontrolled by the action of a springy finger-like primary member of thetruss. The truss also is ideally adapted for application of a suspensoryreadily removeable for cleansing.

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of an embodiment of the invention employinga plurality of springy steel fingers projecting from a concave metalstrip, the whole being covered with a pad facepiece.

FIG. 2 is a view in section on the line 2-2, FIG- URE 1.

FIG. 3 is a front face view of the springy concave metallic membersuitable for use in the structure of FIG- URE 1.

FIG. 4 is a front face view of a modification which may be integrallyformed of springy plastic, as, for example, polystyrene.

FIG. 5 is a rear face view showing two of my major truss elements,whether of FIG. 1 or FIG. 4, carried by a band secured by loops to abelt, and illustrating snap fastener connecting means between the beltand a suspensory.

FIG. 6 is an isometric view of a modified form of the invention, in thatthe primary truss members are carried by an integral springy band, orrigid band, the ends of the band being spaced from each other.

FIG. 7 has reference to FIG. 5, it showing two of the primary trussmembers carried by a curved strip perforated to receive rivets or thelike for attachment of the strip to a belt or a strap, such as shown inFIG. 5.

Referring to the drawing, I have shown in FIG. 3 the primary member ofmy truss, it consisting of a curved, relatively thin piece of springymaterial, preferably stainless steel, and having an area at 1 preferablyshaped like the palm of a hand, from which area I integrally projectedfinger-like extensions 1*, independently curved, to correspond somewhatwith the area 1 in conjoint shape. The springy resistance of each finger1 is preferably from 16 to 24 ounces.

In FIGURES 1 and 2 I have shown the springy piece 1 covered with the pad2, which may be of any rela- .tively soft and yielding material such asfelt or a casing which receives foam rubber or the like. Such padfacingmay be cemented to the metallic member 1, or may be secured in anysuitable manner. In the embodi- 3,261,352 Patented July 19, 1966 icement shown in FIGURES l and 2, the rear face of the metallic member 1has riveted thereto a strap 3, rivet holes at 17 being provided in themetallic element for such purpose. The strap may be fitted upon aholding element such as the curved strip 4 of FIG. 5, and the latterpreferably will be of metal, such as stainless steel. In FIG. 5, thestrip 4 is held in position by loops 5 carried by a belt 6. By securingthe belt to the waist of the user, the fingered primary truss memberswill be brought under pressure of their fingers upon the groin at thearea of the rupture and with yielding pressure.

In the structure, FIG. 4, the truss member 7 is shown as unitary, and itmay be a molded plastic member, as for example polyethylene, the fingersbeing springy and having spring resistance such as that of thepreviously described structure, and this spring resistance of thefingers can be controlled by the hardness plus the thickness, of thestructure.

As an alternative to the truss member holding means, shown at 4 in FIG.5, the usual belt may be discarded and the primary truss members securedas by rivets, to a metallic split-belt member 10 at the ends thereof, asshown in FIG. 6.

In some cases it may be desirable to impose the weight of the normallyexposed male organs upon the belt 6, and in such case the belt lendsitself to the releasable attachment of suspensory 11, FIG. 5. From thebelt 6 are downwardly led a web or preferably two webs 12, having snapfastener elements at the lower end for receiving complementary snapfastener elements 14, carried by the suspensory, all as shown in FIG. 5.

In FIG. 7 the primary truss members are shown as of the same structureillustrated in FIG. 4, and they are attached to the curved strip 15having apertures at 16 by which they may be attached to holding meanssecured to the torso of the wearer, such as a belt.

It is realized that an inguinal hernia is of the most frequent type, andthat while it will be relieved and temporarily disappear when thepatient is reclined, it will reappear on standing of the patient, unlessheld by a truss or similar device. The present invention is particularlyapplicable to such cases of moderate hernia since the holding fingersare yielding and yet adapted to better hold the ruptured area than withthe customary form of truss. In the structure of FIGURES 5, 6 and 7,balance support is provided, although the hernia appears on one sideonly. This support provides greater comfort and, of course, providesmeans on the other side of the groin for preventing the occurence of ahernia. When the belt is applied, the springy pressure is the same oneach side of the groin.

It will be understood that various modifications may be made in the formand arrangement of the elements illustrated in the embodiments withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is as follows:

1. A hernia truss comprising a supporting member adapted to bepositioned at the groin of a wearer, a split metal belt-like memberhaving its ends mutually separated, said metal belt-like member beingadapted to be positioned and held at the waist area of a wearer andfirmly carrying said supporting member at an end area thereof, the saidsupporting member consisting of a relatively thin piece ofconcavo-convex springy material simulating in form the palm of a humanhand and carrying downwardly projecting and mutually spaced finger-likemembers approximating in width and length the fingers of an adult humanhand, which finger-like members are flexible at least in directionstransversely of said supporting member, and pad-means of soft andyielding material carried by the supporting member at its concave face.

2. A hernia truss comprising a supporting member adapted to bepositioned at the groin of a wearer, means adapted to be positioned andheld at the waist area of a wearer and carrying said supporting member,the said supporting member consisting of a relatively thin piece ofconcavo-convex springy material and carrying downwardly projectingconcavo-convex and mutually spaced finger-like members approximating inform the fingers of a human hand, which finger-like members are flexibleat least in directions transversely of said supporting member, andpad-means of soft and yielding material carried by the supporting memberat its concave face and each finger-like member, leaving spaces betweensaid fingerlike members.

3. A hernia truss comprising a supporting member adapted to bepositioned at the groin of a wearer, the supporting member being ofconcavo-convex form including downwardly projecting finger-like membersconforming to body contour, said finger members being flexible, at leastin opposite directions and relatively to the body of said supportingmember, a belt carrying said supporting member with its finger-likemembers depending from said supporting members, spaced webs connected toand said belt webs holding the suspensory below said supporting memberand its finger-like members leading downwardly from the belt andcarrying fastener elements and a suspensory carrying complementaryfastening elements adapted for connection with the belt webs, said beltWebs holding the suspensory below said supporting member and itsfinger-like members.

4. A hernia truss constructed in accordance with claim 3 in which thesupporting member is rigidly connected to a curved strip, substantiallyresistant to stretching, and means releasably holding said strip to theunderface of the belt.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 928,485 7/1909West 132-146 2,117,621 5/1938 Mills 128-96 2,527,205 10/1950 Zaras128100 ADELE M. EAGER, Primary Examiner.

1. A HERNIA TRUSS COMPRISING A SUPPORTING MEMBER ADAPTED TO BEPOSITIONED AT THE GROIN OF A WEARER, A SPLIT METAL BELT-LIKE MEMBERHAVING ITS ENDS MUTUALLY SEPARATED, SAID METAL BELT-LIKE MEMBER BEINGADAPTED TO BE POSITIONED AND HELD AT THE WAIST AREA OF A WEARER ANDFIRMLY CARRYING SAID SUPPORTING MEMBER AT AN END AREA THEREOF, THE SAIDSUPPORTING MEMBER CONSISTING OF A RELATIVELY THIN PIECE OFCONCAVO-CONVEX SPRINGY MATERIAL SIMULATING IN FORM THE PALM OF A HUMANHAND AND CARRYING DOWNWARDLY PROJECTING AND MUTUALLY SPACED FINGER-LIKEMEMBERS APPROXIMATING IN WIDTH AND LENGTH THE FINGERS OF AN ADULT HUMANHAND, WHICH FINGER-LIKE MEMBERS ARE FLEXIBLE AT LEAST IN DIRECTIONSTRANSVERSELY OF SAID SUPPORTING MEMBER, AND PAD-MEANS OF SOFT ANDYIELDING MATERIAL CARRIED BY THE SUPPORTING MEMBER AT ITS CONCAVE FACE.